Sugarcane operation value-adds with grain storage facility thanks to RED Grant
Charlie and John Piccolo
10 October 2023
A Far North Queensland sugarcane and mixed cropping farm is constructing a grain storage and handling facility which will create up to four full-time jobs thanks to a Rural Economic Development (RED) Grant.
Third-generation family enterprise JDCC Farming is developing the grain storage and drying facility at Gordonvale which will help them increase the resilience of their business at a time of economic and climate uncertainty.
JDCC Farming manager Charlie Piccolo said the grain storage and drying facility would help the operation complete more tasks on-farm.
"In Far North Queensland there’s a lot of moisture and no drying facilities close-by, so we were having to transfer our grain down to Dalby for storage, drying and aerating," he said.
Charlie said the operation began exploring crops that were complimentary to sugarcane in 2015 to get the most value from their land, and now they grow a range of produce including rice and mungbeans.
"In the sugar industry, the cost of production is high, so we were looking outside to do something else and get some extra income with the land," he said.
“Diversifying into other crops makes our business more resilient and helps with soil and environmental issues."
The project is expected to be completed next year and will create four direct, full-time farm hand jobs.
“Without the grant money we wouldn’t have been able to do this project. It really cemented what we wanted to do and helped us along the path," Charlie said.
Grants are available for up to $200,000 with a 50 per cent cash contribution requirement from applicants to fund projects which generate economic and employment opportunities related to primary production value chains across rural and remote Queensland.
Over five years, the Palaszczuk Government’s RED Grants program has provided a total of $13.3 million in funding to support 59 successful regional agribusiness projects, worth more than $52.4 million and estimated to create over 2,500 new direct and indirect jobs.
A sixth round of RED grants, supporting Indigenous-owned agribusinesses and projects aimed at low-emissions agriculture, has been allocated for the 2023-24 financial year, with applications to open later this year.
For more information about the RED Grant Scheme, visit the RED Grant Scheme page.
The Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) administers the RED Grant Scheme on behalf of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
